This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Victoria Sutton
For once Sophie Stone believes that she is going to have the perfect Valentine’s Day. She wakes to the vision of the golden-haired Adonis in her bed, barely noticing that she has, in fact, been pushed from that bed by him, and can’t help but smile. Unfortunately that smile is to be swiftly removed when he unceremoniously dumps her on the most romantic day of the year. She is dateless once again, with the added dread of having to update her Facebook status to ‘single’.
There is, however, some Valentine’s post for Sophie and she is shocked to discover that a mysterious benefactor has left her an inheritance. But it comes with the condition that Sophie must meet the father she has never known, which seems like an insurmountable task to her at first. This news sets in motion a series of events that will force serial-procrastinator Sophie into making some difficult decisions, set her on the path to self-discovery and enable her to face up to her past…
I warmed to Sophie straight away. She reminded me of Bridget Jones with her ability to attract unfortunate events that she just didn’t seem to see coming, as well as the way she so often speaks before she thinks. Her housemates, Jess and Emma, are like two sides of her conscience guiding her through the decisions she has to make – when they’re not bickering with one another that is! I enjoyed the glimpses into Sophie’s work life and thought they gave a good insight into how Sophie was growing and changing. I was also so envious of the house project plans she has for her inheritance and loved following that journey.
The thing that frustrated me about Sophie was her misplaced affection for the rat bag Marc, but then, we have all fallen for the wrong guy and been blind to his faults (haven’t we?). Still, I did want to scream at her every time he reappeared and she melted. Thank goodness for the lovely architect Nick, not necessarily the conventional hero, but a much more worthy one!
I thoroughly enjoyed Conditional Love. I found it to be a witty tale of love in the age of social media. With Sophie’s journey to self-discovery, a family feud, changing friendships and a bit of Grand Designs thrown in for good measure, there is much to entertain and plenty of laughs too.
8/10
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